P&G on market research
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
About 50% of U.S. retail sales in categories in which Procter & Gamble competes are not tracked by Information Resources, Inc. and A.C. Nielsen, CFO Clayton Daley points out during Oct. 29 review of Q1 results. "Our estimates indicate U.S. consumer categories in which we operate are growing about four percentage points faster than the data provided by the main U.S. share data services," he says, adding growth rate differences in P&G businesses have "consistently been even higher." Referring to Wal-Mart's 2001 decision to withhold sales data from research firms, he explains underestimates reflect the fact that unmonitored retail channels, which include club and convenience stores, are growing faster than the food, drug and select mass outlets that are tracked. To compensate, P&G says it is working with manufacturers and research firms to establish "all-outlet reporting capability" for market measurement...